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Who Dey Revolution Manifesto

Preamble

IN THIS TIME of perpetual Cincinnati Bengals incompetence and futility, with zero playoff wins in the nineteen seasons since the WhoDeyRevolution Godfather, Paul Brown, passed away in 1991 and handed the team to his fortunate son, the Despot, Mike Brown;

Introduction

WE, the members of the Who Dey Revolution, in our fervent dedication to the Cincinnati Bengals and fanatical desire to transform our hometown team into perpetual Super Bowl contenders, call for a popular revolution of fans to demand comprehensive reform to the managerial decisions and approach of Cincinnati Bengals ownership, management, staff and players, and hereby call for the adoption of the following Who Dey Revolution Manifesto:

Manifesto Demands

THAT the Mike Brown, Katie Blackburn, Marvin Lewis, along with every other member of the Bengals management, staff and personnel, state publicly to all Bengals fans, “I will do everything in my power to help the Cincinnati Bengals win a Super Bowl;”

THAT Mike Brown will hire a general manager, drastically expand the scouting department and relinquish all control of player personnel;

THAT all training, rehabilitation and medical facilities are considered best-in-class compared to other NFL teams;

THAT the management fill the team only with players who fit the system, both mentally and physically, and are not reluctant to makes changes to player personnel when needed, regardless of cost or loyalty concerns;

THAT offensive and defensive line depth is considered the top priority for all player personnel decisions;

THAT all decisions made by ownership, management, staff and players, both on and off the field, are judged only by this criterion: “Does this help the Cincinnati Bengals win a Super Bowl?”

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Baltimore Ravens

September 10, 2012

Our friend Joe Reedy at the
Enquirer, asked a good question in his article yesterday. Are the Bengals built to improve in the coming years, or are we about to
observe another implosion that typically follows a successful season? His
thesis is inconclusive and doesn’t really take a stand on the question proposed.
In his defense, the future is hard to predict, but today we will attempt to
finish what he started and do our best swami impersonation to better define what
to expect this season.

Marvin

Both Marvin and his top coordinators
are signed through until 2014. This alone makes it seem like everyone in Paul
Brown Stadium is betting the house on the next two seasons.

Last year I declared Black Jesus
has returned after regaining control of personnel decisions from Mike Brown. As
we have pointed out repeatedly in prior posts, drafting and trades have
dramatically improved since Marvin came to town in 2003. However, free agency
is a continued concern with the Odd-Lots strategy that still permeates in the
front office.

With his two year extension, both
coordinators signed to long-term deals (and realistically they probably won’t
leave for head coaching spots), and the player personnel improved on paper; now
the spotlight is on Marvin to do the one thing he has yet to do well a
consistent basis: coach.

Coming into this preseason, the
Bengals were 2-7 in the first preseason game of the season. The typical theme
in every game: lots of mental mistakes and no spark. This preseason has been noticeably
different. The defense front seven looks stout and the offense has the potential
to be very productive if the personnel matches up well to the opposing defense.
Most importantly, this is the first time in decades, I have ever witnessed on a
weekly basis players flying to the football. It appears the decades of
lackadaisical effort may finally be behind us.

There is one nagging thing with
Marvin’s teams that just bothers me. In his ten year tenure they have yet to
pummel an over matched team, nor have they ever won the chess match against a
formidable opponent, except maybe once: the 2003 Kansas City game. Except for
that game, it seems like if they have ever pulled an upset, it has been because
the opponent was the victim of random circumstance. The upset in Lambeu a
couple of years ago was a result of Green Bay losing its starting left tackle
and Odom getting a seasons worth of sacks in one game. The upset against the
Jets when they were led by Brett Favre, was because a fan ran on the field and
stole the ball out of Favre’s hands ending his game winning drive.

This season Marvin needs to prove
that he can do what he set out to do in 2003: win the games that matter. The
nine wins they gathered last year were all against losing teams. The eight
loses, against teams with winning records. However, it could be argued the same
applied to the Patriots and Giants last season. The difference being those
teams gelled at the end of the season and were able to make a run. The Patriots
were totally lucky in the playoffs in that they miraculously faced Tim Tebow
(God’s gift to a 3-4 defensive coordinator), and the second game the Ravens
couldn’t kick a field goal or hold on to the ball.

There will be certain games this
year where the Bengals are clearly outmatched (the week one contest is a
perfect example). In these types of games Marvin’s record of mismanaging the
clock, incorrectly challenging official calls, and setting the tone of the game
all need to be proven that they were merely a result of having a poorly matched
team. I don’t expect them to win tonight, but I still want to see a fire under
Marvin and the players as well as a good display of sound judgment.

There will also be games where they
will have the advantage. Until we see that Marvin and his staff can keep a boot
on the throat of an opponent when they are down (like Jets did yesterday or
Urban Meyer displayed against Miami), the fans have the right to not have
confidence in Marvin’s ability to lead this team to a championship.

Better
Marketing Does Not Produce Wins

The present form of the team has
some key players with a lot of talent that are approaching their prime in a few
years: Dalton, Green, Gresham, Atkins, Dunlap, and Hall. Most teams would love
to have that talent. However, this list means nothing if they are not able to
step on the field on a regular basis. Half of that list (Gresham, Dunlap, and
Hall) enter this season already not 100% by recovering from leg injuries.

Last season, the difference between
the Giants and the Bengals was that one team got healthy at the end of the
season and the other was decimated in key spots. Near the end of the season,
Dunlap was in and out of the lineup, Maualuga was mentally recovering from his
leg injury, and Hall was lost for the season. Those loses made it easier to
expose the weakness in the secondary. The defense was routinely outmatched
going against teams with a strong passing attack or a dominant offensive line.
In defending the passing game, disrupting the QB is typically the best defense.
Losing the team’s best CB and pass rusher makes it very difficult to accomplish
this.

In Reedy’s article he briefly
mentions the comparison between this 2012 team that will take the field tonight
and the 2006. What he failed to include is that injuries are what helped
derailed the 2006 season. Heading into the 2006 season, Marvin had the most
talented team on paper. By week three he had lost his starting center and OLB
for the season. By the end of the season, 3/5 of the OL was on the sideline or
IR, and at one point the entire LB crew was missing. Even through all the
adversity, they still managed to almost make the playoffs. Keep in mind that
was with “5 yard hitch” Bratkowski calling the offensive plays and Chuck “10
yard cushion” Breshnahan calling the defense. It literally would have defied
the laws of physics and psychology to get that team to the playoffs.

We have yet to kick off the season,
and Marvin is already without his starting LG and dependable center. The 1st
round CB has yet to see the practice field for a week, Gresham isn’t close to
being 100% and Dunlap is out, again. If this team is ever going to make the
step to the next level in the next two season, the players that are the focus
of the team’s marketing strategy have to be capable of stepping on the field
and producing.

Swami Says…

Basically, if the rest of the
season progresses the way it has started, I don’t foresee a good direction.
Yes, this team has the most young talent that he has ever been assembled on a
Bengals team in decades. However, as mentioned above your talent is only as
good as it is physically able to perform, and the coaches have to be able to
put players into positions to win games.

Last year was an aberration. The
Bengals were one of the few teams to come into the season well conditioned because
of their revised workout program during the lockout. It was very noticeable at
the start of the season. The Bengals were typically out performed in the first
half and then physically manhandled their opponent in the second half. There
will be a more level playing field in terms of conditioning this year, so that second
half advantage will not exist.

If Dunlap’s leg issues continues
and the Paul Brown curse sets in once again hitting the team in key spots late
in the season, then this team will be lucky to make it 7-9. However, if: 1)
they can get and stay healthy; 2) Marvin proves he is, in fact, a top NFL
strategist; 3) the OL can protect Dalton and open holes for the Law Firm
becoming one of the most dominant units in the league again; and 4) the defense
can play to their potential on a weekly basis like they have shown at times,
then good times are ahead in 2013 and 2014.

For 2012, this team is just too
young, too beat up at the starting gate, and too inexperienced to be able to be
a serious contender. Although the talent is there, fans need to anticipate
growing pains along the OL with 3/5 of the line being retooled (even heading
into the first game against one of the most dominant DL’s in the league).
Typically it takes half a season for an OL to gel and work out any
communication errors. As I mentioned before, Seattle last year best exemplifies
this process. Compare Lynch’s stats for the start of the season to the end; you
will clearly recognize when their OL gelled.

The patch work and inexperienced OL
will throw off the offenses rhythm and ability to move the ball on a consistent
basis. Gruden has a lot to overcompensate from the deficiencies in his OL,
which may have a dramatic affect on his play calling. This puts a lot of
pressure on the defense to over compensate for the offense’s struggles for at
least the first half of the season. I don’t see how that is sustainable with a
schedule that is one of the most difficult ones in the league. In summary, I
predict we will experience a season that will appear as one step back. But if
it the team can exit this season healthy, they may be ready for two steps
forward heading into 2013.

September 20, 2010

1. Zimmer. Glad to see he didn't pull a Breshnahan again this week. He clearly won the chess match yesterday, and the players executed his plan perfectly.

2. Geno Atkins (#97) & Pat Sims (#90). Any time Flacco dropped back to pass, at least one of these two guys were collapsing the pocket and forcing Flacco to hurry his throws. Everyone in the media is always fascinated by the glamorous sack stat. Don't fall for it.

For example, Hob clings to the sack stats when defending the actually terrible 2007 Bengal's OL which caused Palmer to learn some bad habits that he is still trying to work through. It is pressure that really effects the opponents QB efficiency rating by forcing the QB to hurry and make poor decisions. No pressure the first week = Brady 120.9 with a 71.4% completion percentage (seemed like 95% while watching the game). Constant pressure from the front four this Sunday = Flacco 23.8 with a 43.6% completion rate and four INT's. According to the NFL stats, no Bengal defensive player recorded a single sack against the Ravens. I would be perfectly happy if this team doesn't get another sack the rest of the season, as long as they produce like they did Sunday.

3. Bengals OL. It wasn't pretty, but they managed to give Palmer the time and space he needs. Even with the rotating timeshare at RT, they picked up almost every blitz package and stunt the Ravens threw at them. Roland held his own against Suggs for the most part, which is a very difficult thing to accomplish. Personally, I think the RT timeshare is as cheesy in football as it is in real estate, and Smith has to take over the position to solidify the OL at some point.

The Bad:

1. Palmer. He had the time and space and he couldn't take advantage of it. His poor performance yesterday made this game a nail biter when it shouldn't have been even close. The mistakes made Sunday are the remaining scars of the years of abuse he took behind a sub-par OL from 2006 to 2008. Unfortunately, his recovery is a work in progress and it will take time to work these things out since they are mostly mental. The throwing errors we are seeing are most likely from Palmer still feeling like he needs to force his throws to avoid being hit. His passes are either too early, too late, or off target because of this.

The good news is that his mechanics and footwork have improved dramatically compared to the previous two seasons, but his read and reaction skills are still a few steps behind. Does this mean Palmer is done? In this case, we have to ask WWLD? I think Lando would recommend the same treatment that he recommended while his men are getting blown to hell: "we have to give him more time." He just needs to learn to relax and play football again, and I expect that we will see Palmer work out these mistakes as the season goes on if the OL can continue to give him the security he needs in the pocket. If the OL continues to provide space for him and he doesn't improve, then yes he is done. So the jury is still out.

2. Batman and Robin's hands. Johnson has never been good at catching a ball while running toward the interior of the field, and this weakness was showcased Sunday with several dropped balls. TO had one or two catchable TD passes and he couldn't bring them in. From the past two weeks only, it seems like if you can cover TO tight, he can't concentrate on catching the ball. TO's decrease in speed doesn't help out in this department either. I still believe he would be better in the slot than as the #2 since he would have more favorable personnel match ups and routes that get him open by taking advantage of the seams in the zones and exploit his ability to get some YAC's like we witnessed against the Ravens.

3. Gresham's blocking. I wrote at the end of the preseason that we would see Benson get blown up a couple of times while running the stretch play because of his inexperience. However, Bratkowski continues to test Gresham's improvement at the most inconvenient times. There were a couple of 3rd and short plays where they ran toward Gresham's side; almost every time he whiffed and Benson was blown up. They either need to: a) stop calling this play on third and short; b) teach the kid to block aggressively really quick; or c) fire Bratkowski.

August 18, 2010

ESPN AFC North blog author James Walker (who incidentally has been growing on me over the past two years - rare that I like anyone from ESPN), posts an article today entited: "Graham: Facing Bengals Will Be Fun."

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't highlight Ginger's insult of the Bengals which he disguised as praise for the Ravens:

Graham also said that he's very impressed with the overall culture and atmosphere of his new team.

"They invest a lot in the team and the facility. You can tell they don't spare any expense for anything," Graham said of the Ravens. "They treat their players, their trainers, to the people working in the ticket office -- everyone is treated first class. So it's a great organization. It's great to be around that, and I feel very welcomed here."

July 22, 2010

As Sly just noted, raging super badass Ed Reed might miss the first 6 games of this season. Glorious news. Football Outsiders mentions the remarkable amount of depth and good players the Ravens have on the defensive side of the ball, but that only goes so far. In fact, I think depth matters a whole lot less than generally thought.

Sure, you want to have as many talented players at all positions as possible but there are limitations to replacing player after player. At some point you are just screwed. Most great teams, in any sport, are leveraged to a few key people. Their success or failure will depend ultimately on those people alone.

For the Ravens, Ed Reed is one of those guys. Ray Lewis was too. On the offensive side, Ray Rice, their two young tackles and Flacco are probably the counterparts. Without any of those guys, the Ravens super bowl aspirations take a large hit.

If I told you Polamalu was out for the season, would the Steelers D intimidate you? Would you think their D could lead them to a Superbowl? Absolutely not.

For the Bengals, there is no planning for the loss of Carson Palmer. Or Mike Zimmer. Or the absence of Marvin Lewis to run the Bengals like a real organization. The Bengals are leveraged to those three guys. And there is not much hope without them.

This isn't a bad thing. It's just reality. I doubt Colts or Pats fans get upset that they depend solely on the health of Manning and Brady. Most any fan would love to be in their shoes.

Realistically, there is only so much depth can do. Even the injury to Kendrick Perkins probably made the marginal difference that swung game 7 of the NBA finals to the Lakers. I'm sure many of you don't even know who Kendrick Perkins is. But yes, even the loss of a decent NBA center on a team with pretty deep front court couldn't survive the loss of that guy for one game.

This is all just a long-winded way of me saying Ed Reed matters. A lot. And his absence, if it occurs, will be a big boost for the Bengals.

October 12, 2009

First, up, my most recent post where I ask (assuming the answer is basically "no"):

Do the Bengals have an edge in any area against Baltimore this week?

Well, yes, it turns out they do. They have in edge in every area (except the area where you have to snap a ball seven yards backwards so a Ginger Kid can kick it - in that area the Ravens RULE).

All due respect to my boy Competitiveness, but if luck played a role in this game, it was good luck for the Ravens that they weren't down and out of this game by the end of the 3rd quarter. The overthrow by Flacco on 3rd down and the convenient penalties on the game-winning drive merely allowed the final score to validate what anyone watching that game should have realized: the Bengals outplayed the Ravens in every facet of the game and were a better team.

Bengals fans find out this team has a ceiling. And that ceiling is the wild card playoff round.

I even underlined it at the time for emphasis. Whoops! Instead we found out that the Bengals could beat a team previously thought to be among the class of the AFC (and for the past decade or so, by extension the entire NFL)...on the road. The defense is legit, I can only imagine the offense can get better from here on out, a team identity for once exists, and a good-karma snowball appears to be rolling downhill and gaining speed. All bets are off.

But, I remind everyone that the season is LONG and the Superbowl is all that matters. And with that I will bow out of the prediction business for this season...

October 09, 2009

Even at QB is questionable. Palmer is proven while Flacco is still not. But as of this week, I don't think Palmer has performed noticeably better than Joey.

Try to ignore it if Michael Oher plays well.

But back to the point, how exactly will the Bengals win this game? What has to happen? And I'm not talking some Jake Delhomme-like meltdown from Flacco that hands us the game. I'm saying, if Baltimore plays a decent game how do we win?

The Bengals winning at Baltimore by hanging 24 points in the 4th quarter on Ed Reed & Co in 2004 remains the most impressive thing I have ever seen a Bengals team do in my lifetime. I think we need something like that to happen.

September 30, 2009

It's been quite an active couple of days for comments on our site. We appreciate everyone's viewpoint, and I think it is all a testament to how emotionally we are tied to this team...in one way or another.

For those of you who were up in arms over the posting of the Blair Witch style video of the two crucial plays from the game on Sunday: It was not my intention to celebrate those who were in the stadium as supporting Mike Brown, etc. I just thought it captured what this city actually felt on Sunday, and how it could be like that all the time if the Bengals actually structured the organization like a real-live NFL team. This team has a long way to go to even sniff the playoffs, and I sure as hell don't to think this team is going to a Super Bowl anytime soon. If Brian Leonard doesn't get his hand down and leap for a first down, we are talking about another loss to Pittsburgh and a disappointing 1-2 start. I as much as anyone understand that.

The margin of winning and losing in the NFL is razor thin. Much like playing blackjack at a casino...over the long run, you are going to lose. In today's NFL if you are not hunting for and exploiting every single last advantage you can find, the other teams will consistently win more than you. Without having a general manager, an extensive scouting department, or a clear long-range 'plan' (or system) for your football team, you will not be successful over the long run. It just isn't possible. We have a sample size of nearly twenty years in the Mike Brown/Salary Cap era. I think that is enough to make a logical, realistic judgment.

This team has every right of being 2-0. Say what you want, and we have, but today's win at Green Bay is the biggest non-Pittsburgh road win since at least 2004 and potentially since the 90s. To think that this team is playing Pittsburgh next week in a must win game. Ha.